PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST WAS KEY TO WINNING ISO’S TOP COMMITTEE AWARD

With more than 16 billion injections administered around the world every year^[, devices for administering medication into the human body are big business. The ISO committee of experts that develops standards to support this has just been honoured with one of ISO’s most prestigious awards.

The demand for new technologies and solutions for delivering drugs that are safer and more convenient never stops. Add to that the varying injection equipment and methods used around the world to suit individual clinical and patient needs, and it’s clear the safety and quality of products are more important than ever.

ISO’s technical committee (TC) for standardization in this field – ISO/TC 84 – is always one step ahead, often having standards in development in time for when new technology comes on the market. Its efforts have just been recognized through the Lawrence D. Eicher Award for excellence and superior performance in standards development, which was presented today at the 42^nd ISO General Assembly held in Cape Town, South Africa.

ISO/TC 84, Devices for administration of medicinal products and catheters, is one of ISO’s most established technical committees, boasting more than 30 published International Standards, with 11 more in development. Its work spans all kinds of devices for administering medical products, such as injection pens, single-use syringes, inhalers and catheters. Meeting a real market need, the committee estimates that over the past three years, 95 % of the devices they cover in their work are self-declared or fully certified to their ISO standards.

ISO/TC 84 is a model example of a TC that serves the needs of the industry while promoting patient safety and continuous improvement. What’s more, its work directly contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good health and well-being), which aims to ensure universal access to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines for all.

Announcing the award winner, ISO President John Walter commended ISO/TC 84 for its strong focus on patient safety and its proactive approach in developing standards for new kinds of devices even before they are available for purchase, a practice that is greatly appreciated by industry and regulatory bodies.

By Clare Naden